Container closure and opening device



June 30, 1931. c. STOLLBERG 1,811,983

CONTAINER CLOSURE AND OPENING DEVICE Filed Sept. 19, 1928 I NVENTOR MM #194! BY Mg 41 ATTORNEY Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE CHARLES STOLLBERG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, OF

Q Y NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY CONTAINER CLOSURE AND OPENING DEVICE Application filed September 19, 1928. Serial No. 307,008.

- This invention relates in general to sheet metal containers, and more particularly to an improved wire opening device for such containers.

An object of my invention is the provision of an improved hermetic closure for metallic containers which may be readily opened without any special opening tool and which, after removal from the container, may be used as a reclosure.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a simple, inexpensive, strong and durable closure for metallic containers which includes an opening wire adapted to be assembled with ease, speed, and without the necessity of weakening the wire and precisely locating the wire terminals at any particular point of the periphery of the container.

Numerous other objects of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings: 0

1 is a perspective view of a container which embodies my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical crosssectional view of the container top and closure construction. I

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upper part of the container showing the wire star-ted on its opening operation.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown my improved closure and wire opener applied to a wellknown type of container which comprises a cylindrical body 11, having a bottom end 12 double-seamed or otherwise permanently secured thereto. The container body 11 has the material of its upper wall bent outwardly to form an annular outwardly extending bend or bead 13, and then bent nwardly to form an annular groove 14, which is adapted to receive an opening wire 15, having a sharply cut end 16 and a looped handle 17. The material of the wire combines pliability with sufiicient tensile strength to withstand the greatest pulling force necessary for the opening of the container. The extreme upperedge of the annular wall of the body 11 is flanged outwardly, partially encircling the wire 15, to form a body top shoulder 18, which is adapted to support an annular gasket 19, which may be omitted when a hermetic closure is not desirable.

A cover 21 is adapted to close the open top of the container body 11. It comprises a sunken panel '22 forming a shoulder, an annular vertical wallv part 23, a shoulder or rim 2 1, and a depending annular flange or skirt portion 25. The latter has a scalloped edge, that is to say, the material of the edge of the flange is cut away to form a series of alternating semi-circular cutouts or notches 26, and bendable lugs or lips 27. The cover is thus provided with a peripheral succession of individual lips which may be bent out one after the other to release the cover.

The several parts constituting my improved closure and opening device are preferably assembled as follows:

After the can body 11 has been formed with the bead 13 and the wire 15 positioned within the groove 14, the gasket 19 is placed upon the shoulder 18 and the cover is then applied over said shoulder and gasket in such a manner that the loop handle 17 of the wire 15 comes to lie within any one of the notches 26 and between two of the lips 27 and entirely free of the latter.

The outwardly extending lips 27 of the flange 25 are then clinched over the edge of the shoulder 18 and over the outer surface of the wire 15, so that the extreme edges of the lips 27 will engage the annular bead 13. Fig. 2 shows the completed closure.

When it is desired to open the container, it is merely necessary to grasp the wire handle 17 and exert an outward and downward pull on the same. The force of the pull will separate the edges of the lips 27 from engagement with the annular head 13, 'bend the lips outwardly to substantially their original position, and completely free the wire. In this operation the inclination of the upper surface of the bead guides the wire outward, rather than pulls it downward, to successively release the lips from their securing position. The wire having served its punpose may be thrown away. The cover 21, however, may be used as a temporary reclosure. From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that'I have not only provlded an 1miproved and simple closure for containers, suitable for a great variety of products, but have also combined with the closure 8. simple and effective opening device. The notches 26 are provided in the depending flange 25 to reduce the resistance of the flange 25 to the opening pull of the wire 15. This notching operation does not weaken the holding power of the flange 25. In fact, amore secure crim can be obtained with the collection of indivi ual lips than could be obtained with a solid flange where excess metal somewhat hampers the crimping operation.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim In a wire-opening container the combination of a body having an outwardly bent lip and a wire-supporting outward bead below said lip, said bead and lip forming a groove for the wire, a pulling and covers-releasing wire arranged around the can in said groove, a cover having a shoulder inserted down within the can so as to be opposite to said groove, the flange of the cover being bent tightl over the lip of the body and the containe wire and down at the outer side of the wire to a point opposite said bead, the margin of the cover flange being formed with notches and bendable lugs, and an annular gasket arranged under said flange of the cover.

CHARLES STOLLBERG. 

